Yesterday morning, this bugger was full on. He started attacking as I came up the path from KBB through Kokoda Park, and continued for a solid 100 metres along Tindal Street. He dived at least 10 times all up. The first two he struck, and the next 8 I had my arm up waving though he was getting so close to my hand I could feel his wing flaps. A woman living in the street and watching said he had been very aggressive for 2 weeks, and struck people hard.

On reflecting about it afterwards, I came up with a new fight back tactic.I have a mirror attached and will watch for his approaches. As he comes into strike, I'm going to throw a handful of fine sand up and over shoulder and hopefully score it right in his beady red angry eyes.

I'm not usually a complain to council kinda guy, but thought it would be interesting to see what response BCC gives re magpies. Here's the letter I just sent electronically.

sent 3.22pm 19/9/11

'Around 1pm Saturday 17/9/11, I was aggressively attacked by a magpie as I rode my bicycle up from Kedron Brook Bike path through Kokoda Park and onto Tindal St. I was struck twice, after which I raised my hand above my head but continued to be swooped at least 10 times for 100 metres along Tindal St (on the section of road from 9A to 22 Tindal Street).

On several occasions, I temporarily lost control of the bicycle while on Tindal St due to the repetitive attacks and trying to ride away from the dangerous bird. This put my life at risk as several cars were trying to overtake me.

I am aware the BCC's advice is for a cyclist to dismount and walk out of the bird's attack zone, but it is impractical when wearing bike cleats to walk for several hundred metres across a magpie's attack zone.

As this magpie is the most aggressive of the 5 I've encountered in Brisbane, I am bringing it to your attention for your affirmative action, such as translocation.

Surely, the BCC has a duty of care to ratepayers to prevent potential for serious injury or death, once your attention is brought to it. Whether the threat is of the natural world or not is immaterial. Snakes, wild boars, dingos, and aggressive domestic or wild dogs are all removed when they threaten humans with serious injury or death. Magpies are not an endangered species, and in fact, their numbers are more likely artificially high in suburban areas where food sources are artificially elevated and higher predator bird numbers are artificially lower.

For your information:

- 12yo Ivan Sthrowski-Wood of Ipswich was killed when he ran onto a road to flee an attacking magpie on 16/8/10.

- Griffith University magpie behavior expert, Professor Darryl Jones, says at least one human loses an eye every year in SE Qld. This expert says translocation is an effective intervention, despite BCC briefs supportive of council's inaction in these matters.

The convenient tendency of governments to overly pander to passive environmental lobbyists is obviously facilitated by council budgetary considerations. However, what dollar value does council put on a child's life or permanently damaged eye? Does council need a liability suit brought against it to help with the calculus?

Finally, if one complaint about a magpie is insufficient for Council to take seriously, could you quantify exactly how many complaints you need to receive before taking affirmative action to translocate particularly aggressive magpies? I know several cyclists who avoid this area and its access to Kedron Brook bike path. Instead, they and their children travel on busier roads.

I look forward to your earliest and considered response. And could I request your first response is not a standard form letter brush off, repeating the superficial magpie attack avoidance "suggestions" published on your web site.

Found a magpie on Landsborough Avenue, Scarborough between Warde Street and Fifth Av. Passed this area twice, only got attacked once. I was riding with kiddies in a trailer and the wife was riding a little further back with eldest daughter and they got strafed, but I did not.

My theory is that the Magpie species is not attracted to devilishly good looks and bad BO

I got my magpie removed by BCC last year. However I got the run around that was going no where. The thing that progressed the issue was I sent some photos of my bloodied self to them that was taken just after the attack. It was pretty gross... but the magpie was gone quickly.

I'm glad of it too. It had a taste for blood and was a menace. Apparently 90% of removed magpies go on to make good in their new homes so it's not like it's a death sentence for the bird.

I think the council doesn't like doing it because if they removed every swooping magpie then they would be inundated with requests.

One of the best things about bicycle commuting is that it can mitigate the displeasure of having to go to work. - BikeSnobNYCCycling is sometimes like bobbing for apples in a bucket full of dicks. - SydGuy

Comedian wrote:I got my magpie removed by BCC last year. However I got the run around that was going no where. The thing that progressed the issue was I sent some photos of my bloodied self to them that was taken just after the attack. It was pretty gross... but the magpie was gone quickly.

Comedian wrote:So are there any actually on Kedron Brook bikeway at the moment? Last year there was one at the bottom of Swinbourne St at Lutwyche. If I know where I can try and attain escape velocity.

Not on the Sandgate Road to Shand St section from what I have experienced.

I got the swoop as well last week in the morning on Montpelier Road, as I was crossing Markwell Street in Bowen Hills. It wasn't that bad coz i had my fat sunnies on and the helmet and it was only one swoop.

Has people been aggressively swooped on to the point of scratches and other lacerations?

I'm not sure how the relocation of magpies happen but if they are just catching it and then moving it somewhere else, how would their little chicklings fend for themselves let alone survive?

I'm not saying nothing should be done about this as obviously it is causing a bit of concern for kids and cyclists, but there has got to be another way than just killing them or moving them right?

My old 'friend' the nutter who lives on Logan Rd out front of Officeworks is back again this year....this section is halfway up a hill, so you can't too too much pace up, well I can't anyways ).He got both Mr MM and myself on Saturday morning, swoops but no contact.

On the way home we flew down Logan Rd southbound without incident.

It might be time to take a divert through Garden City's carpark until November

In the past week every time I go past there he has had a go at me. Unfortunately this is whilst I'm going at speed after coming down the hill.

Got a nice shiny red/black helmet - no cable ties / etc. Was thinking about sticking a couple of party poppers to my helmet and pulling the string when he gets close

Yep, the Sumner Park one has had a go at me. He was really cranky, he made about 6 or seven swoops. I've found another one too, not far from where I live at Brassall in Ipswich, though he only made a couple of swoops.

Hmmm, I ride the Western Freeway bike path every day, and haven't encountered this one near Bullockhead Rd (or any for that matter). Thanks for the heads-up.

A guy I was chatting to the other day while riding said a rider came off a few weeks back when he was attacked by a magpie while riding past the jail (on the service road alongside Ipswich Motorway, coming from the Progress Rd overpass).

I've got one on my commute who does a half hearted swoop that misses me by meters. Sometimes I don't even notice him/her, sometimes I hear a faint swoosh and look back and he's headed for a power line and sits up their waving his wings around in the air showing off

As much as I crap myself when I do actually get hit unexpectedly, I really like maggies. Even when they're swooping me its kind of cute (but they're not doing me on a busy road, in which case it would be much less funny).

Inwood wrote:I've got one on my commute who does a half hearted swoop that misses me by meters. Sometimes I don't even notice him/her, sometimes I hear a faint swoosh and look back and he's headed for a power line and sits up their waving his wings around in the air showing off

As much as I crap myself when I do actually get hit unexpectedly, I really like maggies. Even when they're swooping me its kind of cute (but they're not doing me on a busy road, in which case it would be much less funny).

The funny thing i find with em is that thay only attack me from behine.

So far going well. I commute three days a week from Eight Mile Plains to Newstead and back, ride Saturday morns and quite often out the front as I like to push it. We ride Wynnum/Wellington Pt, River Loop (both Indoor and extended Jindalee loop) and haven't been swooped once to date. This time last year I was being hammered at each point there were maggies.I think it is the bright white helmet and it must reflect the Sun and blind the poor buggers

Swooped twice at two separate locations this morning...first one was down at Yatala near the pub, 2nd one was in Eagleby just before the Logan River Bridge....watch out next Sunday if you're riding to the coast...here's hoping the first few hundred riders of 10,000 will tire them out, which will be long before I get to ride through there

Both times the sun was behind me so I could see their shadows, but both of them kept coming at me, they must like my blue gillet

I nearly got swooped on Kitchener Rd at Ascot. I was turning right off Lancaster Road when I spotted a Magpie swooping at other birds. I decided to get on the footpath and walk along the fence line to avoid the bastard.

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